Social Movements

Social movements are (a) mostly informal networks of interaction, based on (b) shared beliefs and solidarity, mobilized around (c) contentious themes through (d) the frequent use of various forms of protest. Communication assumes a central role in the articulation of each of these definitional aspects. Early studies on the topic underlined the weak position of social movements with regard to mass media, on the one hand, and the role of movement‐near media as a space of alternative communication, on the other hand. Recent developments in the literature underline the agency of social movements in the making of political communication flows, positioning them in a multilayered media environment. At the same time, research has flourished on the role of Internet tools and web platforms in the strategic and expressive activities of social movements. Future research would benefit from cross‐media, cross‐time and cross‐country comparisons on the use of media in social movements.